APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Stroud vs. Stroud

01A01-9607-CH-00291

Originating Judge:Jim T. Hamilton
Giles County Court of Appeals 05/21/97
Rust vs. Rust

01A01-9608-CH-00361

Originating Judge:Robert E. Corlew, III
Rutherford County Court of Appeals 05/21/97
State vs. Daryl Conner

02C01-9512-CR-00358

Originating Judge:Joseph B. Brown
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/21/97
01CO1-9605-CC-00218

01CO1-9605-CC-00218
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/21/97
Patterson vs. Amos, et. ux.

01A01-9609-CH-00410
Perry County Court of Appeals 05/21/97
X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 05/21/97
01CO1-9605-CC-00225

01CO1-9605-CC-00225
Coffee County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/21/97
Cunningham vs. Dept. of Saftey

01A01-9509-CH-00411

Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 05/21/97
Randy Pertuset v. Pargo's, Inc.

01S01-9609-CH-00189
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The trial court dismissed the plaintiff's petition for workers' compensation benefits. The plaintiff raises the following issues: I. The trial court erred in finding that the altercation between the plaintiff and Thomas Wilson, a co-employee, was not an "accident" sufficient to justify an award of workers' compensation benefits. II. The trial court erred in finding that the medical evidence was insufficient to justify an award based on a mental or nervous disorder. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. The plaintiff in the case was employed as a supervisor at Pargo's, Inc., a restaurant. On January 27, 1994, during the lunch hour, the plaintiff became involved in an exchange with a cook over an order. The evidence shows the plaintiff entered the kitchen to reprimand the cook. The plaintiff pointed his finger at the cook's face as he spoke to him. There is a dispute between the plaintiff and the other witnesses about what then occurred. The plaintiff testified the cook struck him on the neck with his arm, and that he fell to the floor as a result of the blow. The plaintiff was the only witness to give this history of the confrontation. The other witnesses testified the cook placed his hand on the plaintiff's face and pushed him away. All of these witnesses testified the plaintiff did not fall. The day following the incident, the plaintiff became emotionally upset and had to leave work. Basically, the plaintiff was never successfully employed after this time because his mental condition seemed to deteriorate. The Chancellor's memorandum stated in its most pertinent part as follows: The Court finds that the altercation on January 27, 1994 between the plaintiff and Mr. Wilson did not amount to an "accident" sufficient to justify an award. While the plaintiff claims that the plaintiff assaulted him with such force sufficient to cause him to fall to the floor and suffer from neck stiffness, evidence in the record and testimony at trial do not support such a conclusion. Testimony at trial by co-workers who witnessed the altercation reports that the plaintiff began the altercation by verbally 2
Authoring Judge: Senior Judge John K. Byers
Originating Judge:Hon. Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.,
Davidson County Workers Compensation Panel 05/21/97
Kay E. Blackwood, Jr. v. The Berkline Corp., et al.

01S01-9609-CV-00190
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The appellants contend (1) the award of permanent partial disability benefits is excessive, (2) it was error for the trial judge to become a witness in the case and (3) the trial judge abused his discretion by commuting permanent partial benefits to a lump sum. As discussed below, the panel has concluded the award of permanent partial disability benefits should be modified and, as modified, paid in a lump sum, and the evidential remarks of the trial judge were harmless in light of our modification. The claimant, Kay Eugene Blackwood, Jr., is thirty-nine years old with a high school education and vocational training as an automobile mechanic and some college training as a minister of the gospel. He gradually developed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome from the repetitive use of his hands at work for employer, Berkline. The employer referred him to Dr. James B. Talmage. The doctor diagnosed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and prescribed braces for both wrists. He restricted the claimant from repetitive work with his right hand and recommended wearing the braces while sleeping. The claimant was totally disabled for several weeks. The doctor assigned zero percent permanent impairment, but acknowledged some loss of grip strength and conceded that, on the basis of lost grip strength, the AMA Guidelines provided twenty percent permanent impairment to the right arm and ten percent to the left, using a method the doctor considered inappropriate. Dr. Talmage did not concede the loss of grip strength was permanent. Dr. Randy Gaw, a neurologist, diagnosed mild right carpal tunnel syndrome but found no evidence of "left median nerve mononeuropathy" or "generalized neuropathic or myopathic process involving the upper extremities." The claimant returned to work for the employer. Dr. S. M. Smith, who did not treat the claimant but evaluated him, diagnosed moderate carpal tunnel syndrome on the right and mild carpal tunnel syndrome on the left. He assigned twenty percent permanent impairment to the right hand and ten percent to the left. The trial court awarded, among other things, permanent partial disability benefits based on fifty percent to each arm, commuted to a lump sum. Appellate review is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of correctness, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(2). This tribunal is required to conduct an independent examination of the record to determine where the preponderance of the evidence lies.
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. John A. Turnbull,
Clay County Workers Compensation Panel 05/21/97
02C01-9509-CC-00259

02C01-9509-CC-00259
Lauderdale County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/20/97
Tommye Johnson vs. Edward Johnson, Sr.

02A01-9609-Cv-00217

Originating Judge:George H. Brown
Shelby County Court of Appeals 05/20/97
Marilyn Morgan vs. Velma McCrory

02A01-9604-CV-00072

Originating Judge:Robert A. Lanier
Shelby County Court of Appeals 05/20/97
Deborah Tuggle vs. Shelby Co. Government, et al

02A01-9606-CV-00147

Originating Judge:George H. Brown
Shelby County Court of Appeals 05/20/97
State vs. Christopher Prentiss

02C01-9604-CR-00112

Originating Judge:Joseph B. Brown
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
State vs. Teague

03C01-9601-CC-00027
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
Kite vs. Kite

03S01-9610-CH-00099
Supreme Court 05/19/97
03C01-9311-CR-00363

03C01-9311-CR-00363

Originating Judge:Edgar P. Calhoun
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
Stein vs. Davidson Hotel Company

01S01-9610-CV-00202
Davidson County Supreme Court 05/19/97
State vs. Nail

03C01-9406-CR-00197

Originating Judge:Paul A. Swafford
Rhea County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
State vs. Johnson

03C01-9606-CC-00214

Originating Judge:E. Eugene Eblen
Loudon County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
State vs. Beeler

03C01-9607-CC-00264

Originating Judge:Frank L. Slaughter
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
State vs. Lowery

03C01-9604-CC-00146

Originating Judge:William R. Holt
Jefferson County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
State vs. Maurice Garner

02C01-9508-CR-00223

Originating Judge:Arthur T. Bennett
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/19/97
State vs. Henry Eugene Hodges

01S01-9505-CR-00080
Davidson County Supreme Court 05/19/97